FRANCE
IAAF Diamond League, Stade Charlety – 30 June 2018Nick Willis (35) finished tenth in the 1500m in 3:36.26, 13 years after he ran 3:32.38 at the same meeting to break John Walker’s New Zealand national record. Walker as a 35 year old ran 3:34.75 for 1500m. Willis holds the national record of 3:29.66 set in Monaco in 2015.

OBITUARIES
Pioneer of the pole vault in New Zealand Mervyn Richards of Mosgiel died on Sunday 1 July 2018 aged 87.
He won 11 straight national pole vault titles from 1952 to 1962. In winning the 1958 title he became the first New Zealander to vault 14 feet (4.27m). He set 11 New Zealand records in the pole vault and over all raised the record 46cm. In winning his last title in 1962 he vaulted a national record of 4.34m.
He excelled in a number of track and field events, placing third in the 1952 national decathlon championship and he held the Otago senior javelin record for a number of years. Mervyn competed at three Empire Games, 1950 in Auckland where he was ninth, 1954 in Vancouver where he was fifth and 1958 in Cardiff where he won the bronze medal in the pole vault with a clearance of 4.17m on his second attempt. The gold and silver medallists both vaulted 4.17m on their first attempt. His medal was the first pole vault medal by a New Zealander at an Olympic or Empire/Commonwealth Games. He was nominated for the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games but missed selection, even though his New Zealand record at the time was higher than the qualifying height for the final.
Mervyn qualified as a coach in 1949 and he coached many champions and record holders across a variety of events. He built a pole vault pit at his home in Mosgiel and encouraged his family to try the event, and his son Malcolm was the most successful and broke a world record for a 10-year-old at the old Caledonian Ground in 1971. He still holds the Otago record for a 15-year-old when he jumped 3.26m in 1976.
His expert technical application which he applied to his coaching in the pole vault was widely recognised. He coached Kevin Gibbons from 1956 to 1959, who then went on to win seven national titles.
Mervyn was also involved in gymnastics and was selected coach of the New Zealand gymnastics team to the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games, but the team did not attend. Mervyn coached his daughter in gymnastics to many New Zealand titles. He also represented Otago in badminton. His wife Winnie Garrod won the New Zealand women’s javelin title in 1957 and 1958 and held the national women’s record.
His funeral will be held in Mosgiel on Thursday 5 July at 11.00am.

Former sprint coach with the Kiwi Club and Tauranga Ramblers David Corrigan of Tauranga died on Sunday 24 June 2018 aged 91.
He was the coach of Laurie D’Arcy, New Zealand sprint champion in 1969 and 1970.

Long standing Otago official and administrator Colin Taylor of Dunedin died on Wednesday 27 June 2018 aged 76.
Colin was on the committee of Athletics Taieri for 40 years. He was vice-president of the Club in 1986 and president 1987-89. He was made a life member of the Club in 1999.
Colin was on the Athletics Otago management committee for 30 years, was a vice-president and received life membership of Athletics Otago in 2009. He received an Athletics New Zealand long service badge in 1994.